Dragon Riders
by midnight-heart
Summary: Prince  Danny is given an egg, by his older sister, on his birthday. He's force to flee to a village & live secretly w his childhood friend, Tucker. Then his egg hatches into a dragon & he becomes a dragon rider: they met lovely Sam & Raven. DxS, TxOC
1. Chapter 1

Long ago, there was a time of peace, with a league of saviors kept the balance. These saviors were the Dragon Riders, who had companioned dragons by their side, to always be with their Rider until dead pierces one or the other.

Now all of the Dragon Riders are dead, except for those you chose to reside with evil of Sorcerer Vladimir, who was thought to be a healer to his people. He gained control of the most powerful kingdom, Casper, where he slain King Jackson and taking Queen Madeline as his wife. He wished to kill her children, but had use of young Princess Jazzmine's knowledge and pitied Prince Daniel, in the name of Queen Madeline's merciful pleads.

Everyone awaits for anew Dragon Rider to destroy the tyrannical sorcerer, but who shall make the egg hatch...

* * *

,"What is it?" A young man held a blue stone; he had a messy black mop of hair, that barely covered his ocean eyes, having a muscular built, and appeared to but of fourteen years. Looking to a woman with sun-rayed hair, sky-like eyes that almost matched her brothers, and a feminine figure.

,"Don't you remember, Danny?" She responded in her know-it-all voice to her young sibling. Shaking his head side-to-side, she sighed annoyingly, "It's a stone! A beautiful blue stone, father gave to me when you were barely born." Taking the stone in her hands, she stared at the sapphire shell with lament. "He said 'Darling, take care of this for me. Will you, Jazzy?' I will."

Danny stared at his sister, who's face showed great sadness ad grief for the loss of there beloved father, who was murdered by his trusted advisor and sorcerer of healing, Vladimir Plasmus. Danny hated him, though he spared his life. He could stop but feel anger towards the man who killed his in front of his own kin.

"But today's your birthday." The princess brightened up, giving the blue stone to her brother, "You are fourteen...You must leave the Kingdom of Casper, for surely Vladimir will take the life he had spared years ago."

Danny walked in the empty hallways of the castle, wearing a cloak and the clothes on his back. His sister following beside him, having a candle at hand that was the only source of light from the dark castle.

He had to leave his home just to save himself. He had to leave his mother and his sister, who were his most valued people in his heart. But they had planned this six years ago, not long after his father was dead. He had to leave in order to continue the line of royalty, since women are not allowed to govern a kingdom; he had to live in order to preserve his family's bloodline.

Both walked to the stables, where Danny took the fastest steed in there, in order for him to make it into the nearest village he will reside with his old squire and friend Tucker Foley.

Getting on his horse, he gripped the stone in a bag that had food, his sister had given him, "Jazz, when will it be safe to come back home?"

,"When a Dragon Rider rises He or She will pierce Vladimir's heart with the sword of Dragon slaying." Jazzmine spoke, tightly holding the candle with hope that it will happen in time, "I'm sorry, Danny. You can't come home until peace returns to our kingdom and other kingdoms, as well." A tear went down her peach skin, "Bye, Danny."

,"Bye, Jazz." Danny rode off, holding his tears of his grief. 'No man should ever show his tears' his father said to Danny as he witnessed his father's very own death. Danny kept his father's last words to his heart, making word by word everlasting until his own demise came to him. Stopping the horse, he looked back at the large castle that was his abode for years, was now owned by Vladimir. He deepened the hatred more, until he swore to kill him by his own hand, before the Dragon Rider.

* * *

'Danny' a voice spoke and could not locate where it was coming from 'Danny, Danny, Danny.' Everything went black, "Danny, wake up!"

Opening his ocean eyes, he saw a dark-skinned young man, wearing spectacles and peasant clothes, "Wake up, Danny! Just 'cause you're a prince doesn't you have to sit around doing nothing!"

Sitting upright, he was asleep with only peasant pants on. He saw Tucker fully clothed in his peasant get up, "C'mon Tuck, just five minutes!"

,"Sorry, Danny, but if I have to dress and act like a peasant then so do you. Now get up!" Tucker grabbed a bucket from behind him and threw ice-cold water on him.

Danny grabbed the bucket and pushed it down Tucker's head, making him stuck, "Now we're even!" He got up and put on another pair of clothes, setting out the wet clothes out on the wooden fence to dry.

Tucker walked, still having the bucket in his head, "Danny?! Get me out of this! Or at least be my eyes!" Tucker aimlessly walked, hitting into the barn and fence, and even falling on the plough.

Laughing, Danny helped Tucker out of the bucket, he thought 'Already two years since I left home and still no Dragon Rider. Guess I'll have to kill him by m own hand.' Tucker wrestled with Danny, as his head was free from the bucket.

Little did Danny know, a certain blue stone would change his life and lead him on a journey. And discover his destiny as a Dragon Rider.

* * *

Yeah, kinda short, but I'm working on the next chapter. So I hope u like this story!

-M!dn!ght out


	2. Chapter 2: Princess Samantha

A little girl with black, shoulder-length hair and rare, beautiful purple eyes was in the castle garden. She loved all of nature's beauty, especially the trees and animals. The castle garden was her sanctuary from her parents and etiquette teachers; a place of peace she can call to her own.

She sat down on the grass, placing her violet dress gently aside. She stared at the birds, as they slowly crept to her, "Princess!"

She turned around to see a little girl about her age running to her. She had long wavy, black hair and dark blue eyes, wearing a long black dress, "Princess Samantha, you are not suppose to be out here without any guards!"

,"I'm sorry, Ravenna," the princess got up from the grass, "But I don't want my teachers to find me." Looking around, she happily saw none of her teachers, "When did you come?"

,"About an hour ago, one of our teachers was trying to find you, Princess Samantha." Ravenna bowed to the Princess, as both sat on the grass.

,"I told you not to call me that." the princess angrily responded, "Call me 'Sam'.

,"Then you must call me 'Ray'." Both smiled, as they pinky promise. Sam laid her head on the grass, but used her arms as a pillow. Shutting her eyes, to see the color pink dancing around, when the sun hit her face.

,"Mama's gone." Sam opened her eyes to see Raven's eyes downcast and her knees on her chest, looking at the setting sun, "She was killed by goblins and treacherous magic healers."

,"Oh Ray, I'm so sorry." She pushed her upper torso, still Raven gave no glance to the princess, and "So, that's why you're dressed in black."

,"Wanna hear a song?" Ray looked at Sam, with somber in her eyes, "It's the song, Mama use to sing to us." Sam willing nodded her head. She had never seen Raven so depressed since a man that was working for her father tried to rape her.

She sighed, and then sang, "_I promise to be with you,_

_Forever if I ever could._

_I promise to sing you a lullaby,_

_To give you the stars in the sky._

_I promise to be there,_

_If ever you're real scared._

_I promise to hold you tight,_

_Throughout the entire night._

_I promise that we'll stay for the sunset,_

_To say for as long as we never meant_.

_I promise to help you up,_

_Even by your lack of luck._

_I promise you, never to leave anywhere_..." a tear drew down her face, she changed the last verse, "_Why'd you have to go away somewhere_?"

,"You have a beautiful voice, Ray." Sam complimented; she never heard Raven sing before. She had always said, 'I hate singing!' to prevent anyone knowing that she actually did sing. Though Sam didn't say anything, Raven began singing again.

Everything turns black, as Raven began to sing. Raven disappeared, along with the garden and castle, but still her voice lingered. _'I promise to be with you; forever if I ever could...I promise to sing you a lullaby, to give you the stars in the sky. I promise to be there, if ever you're real scared. I promise to hold you tight, throughout the entire night. I promise that we'll stay for the sunset, to say for as long as we never meant. I promise to help you up, even by your lack of luck_. '

A voice mixed in the lyrics, "Sam, Sam, SAM!"

_'I promise you, never to leave anywhere...Why'd you have to go away somewhere_?'

Opening her eyes, a sixteen-year-old Raven sat beside her, wearing what appeared to be peasant clothes, "Sam, wake up! We have to leave! Vladimir's knights are headed this way!"

."WHAT!" She got up and helped Raven grab their belongings. They were sleeping in a villager's barn, but quickly got up and left the village.

Running, Sam spoke over her shoulder to Raven, "This is the seventh time this month! How did they know we were here?"

Both girls ran into the woods, until Raven stopped, "Oh, no. Trella!" She turned around and ran toward the village, sliding on the grassy hill, she didn't care of the rip on her leg.

,"Trella! Trella!" She yelled out, looking at the barn that suddenly exploded, "NOOO! TRELLA!"

Through the flames, popped out wings of a creature, having the upper-torso of an eagle and the lower-torso of o steed, "Trella!" The creature flew to her, as she jumped on her back, and went in the forest. Seeing Sam running, Raven spoke. "Need a lift?" holding out her hand Sam grabbed it and was behind Raven.

,"Guess, we'll have to stay in the woods for a while until they lose our tracks." Sam looked back at the burning barn, 'I don't want anyone getting hurt, because of us."

Sam thought 'Six years since we left away from home. I can't let anyone know I'm Princess Samantha off Amityville.' Sam glanced at her right hand and took off her glove, to see a purple dragon on her palm, I'll get Vladimir, for taking my dragon.' Closing her palm into a fist, 'Damn him to hell with the man who tried to rape Raven.'

Sam didn't know the wood, they'll be residing, was near a village that had a 'peasant boy' with a blue stone, but was actually a dragon egg.

* * *

I made up Raven's song 'Promise', we'll it's actually my poem. I wrote it yesterday, when I saw 'Digimon:Runaway Locomon' in English voices, then w/ Japanese voices in English sub. In english it's 'Promise'-Melissa Fahn, sadly I don't know who sing's it in Japanese-Yuuhi-no Yakusoku; (Promise of the Setting Sun). So I hope u like it and review!


	3. Chapter 3: The First Meeting

,"My back hurts," Danny complained sitting on his bed, "Working two years as peasants, and I'm still not used to it."

,"You'll deal to live with it, Prince Daniel." Tucker moved some hay with a pitchfork, "Or does your royal ass, already gotten use to your own royal pain."

,"Ha, ha. You are so funny." Danny sarcastically responded, getting up from his bed, "Are you done being stupid, so that we'll be able to go to the marketplace."

,"Almost." Putting down the pitchfork on a rack, he made a stupid funny face, "Okay, now I'm ready."

* * *

,"Sam we have to get more supplies, if we're going to stay in the forest." Raven rummaging through her knapsack, and taking mental notes on what to get.

,"I know Ray. But the nearest village with a marketplace has a burned down barn." Sam petted Trella's beak, as the creature growled with pleasure.

,"Actually, there's a village near here by the kingdom of Casper. I saw it when Trella was flying." Raven closed her sack, "So, we'll get our supplies there; food, water and some new clothing."

She glanced at herself and Sam, who's clothes were some-what torn and dirty. Those were the only clothes they had, but by working at the previous village they had collected enough money to buy new clothes now.

,"Alright, then. Let's go." Sam and Raven walked, leaving Trella alone making her screech like an eagle. Raven ran toward her, petting her beak, "We'll be back, okay? Stay here. It won't take long" She ran back to Sam, and obediently Trella sat on all fours in silence.

* * *

,"Do you always have to droll whenever we pass by the butcher's?" Danny dragged Tucker away from the butcher shop, taking him to the marketplace full of food, girls, clothes, girls, trade goods, and did I mention: girls.

Once in a while, when Danny was looking or buying something, he felt someone watching him and every time he looked it was a group of gossipy girls his own age. As always, he looked away nervously and ignores them, but as for Tucker he would try to flirt with them and end up getting rejected.

While looking at some new clothes to wear, on the opposite side of him was a hooded figure. And by the look of her hand texture she was probably his age or a couple years younger. The figure picked up its head, the hood feel, and there was a face of a beautiful maiden with ebony hair that fell to her lower back, and such rare purple eyes. He had never seen any maiden in his village, with eyes like those, maybe green, brown, and blue but never purple.

The beautiful maiden seemed to notice someone was staring at her, because she looked up to see Danny staring at her. He blushed, as her purple eyes were on him. She seems stern, but her face softened to Danny's surprise. She then talked to a saleswoman, gave her a couple of coins and walked away having a bundle in her arm without looking at Danny.

Tucker walked beside Danny, "Something wrong?"

,"Do you know who that it?" Danny eyed the beautiful maiden that was walking toward another hooded maiden with dark blue eyes and long black hair passed her waist.

,"Damn, which one are you talking about?" Tucker stared at both hooded maidens; "I've never seen them in the village, probably nomads. Because girls that are ever that beautiful must come from another region."

Danny kept his eyes on the purple-eyed maiden, as both her and the blue-eyed disappeared within the marketplace crowd. Who is she? Where did she come from? Danny wanted to know who this maiden was, since he suddenly thought about her as both boys walked back to their home.

* * *

,"Hey there, Trella!" Raven petted the creature's feathers, when she returned to her, "I got a surprise for you." Taking out something from her knapsack, she took out dead bats, throwing them to the ground as Trella scurried a bit in an attempt to grab them hungrily with her beak.

,"Ray, did anything weird happen to you in the marketplace?" Sam spoke, as she put on her new clothes behind a tree.

,"Well, a boy wearing spectacles did stare at me when had my hood on, but other than that no." Raven sat on a rather large rock," Why?"

,"Because this boy was staring at me for some unknown reason." Sam stepped out to show Raven her new clothes, "He had these...blue eyes." She had the boy's image in her mind, then blush at what she just said. Seeing Raven wearing a smirk.

,"I think...I don't remember." She was satisfied, when the smirk on Raven's face disappeared, thinking she had believed it.

,"Whatever you say, but right now, we have to find a place to sleep." Raven glanced at Trella, who already devoured her lunch.

,"Let's just sleep here tonight, until we can find shelter somewhere and no one notices Trella," Sam and Raven made their beds on the rough ground, and Trella dug a hole large enough for her to sleep in.

* * *

Tonight Danny lay awake in his bed, still thinking of the maiden he had seen in the marketplace. His thoughts were disturbed when he heard a rustle from a box on his shelf, above his bed. He tried ignoring it, but soon he couldn't ignore it since the shelf was above his head. THUD! The box fell on his face hard, taking the box off his face, he looked inside to see the blue stone his sister, Jazzmine, had given to him.

With his knees to the ground, he placed the blue stone on a patch of loose hay. It moved, wobbling side-to-side, it moved like an egg! CRASH! The stone exploded, with pieces flying around, Danny covered his face for protection. He moved his arms, to see a blue baby dragon! It's a dragon egg!

It had blue gemstone scales, the wings were like jeweled rivers, but it's large blue eyes glisten like sapphires. It had a piece of the egg shell was on its head and while shaking it's head the piece fell. It wobbly walked toward Danny, but slipped on its wing flap and rolled into Danny's lap.

He couldn't help but thought it was cute. It looked at Danny, and then slowly Danny moved his right hand to touch the blue dragon. It allowed him to touch its neck and when his hand moved to its chin, it bit his palm, with tiny, ivory razors, "Ow!"

Looking at his bitten palm, it glowed blue, and then it flashed the entire house. As the flash decreased, Danny saw a blue dragon on his right palm.

* * *

Raven opened her eyes, seeing Trella beside her, and to her left was a soundly sleeping Sam. She shook her shoulder, "Sam, wake up! Wake up!"

Sam's sleepy eyes opened, and stared at a worried looking Raven, "Ray, what's wrong?"

,"I sensed a Rider's presence." Sam's upper torso shot up, "I think it's an old Rider, but it...feels fresh. New!"

,"You mean a New Rider?" Sam questioned for more information.

,"Yes, and it feels faint. So that means we have to stay here for at least...six months." Raven thought.

,"Six months?! By that time, we'll be in Vladimir's dungeon rotting to death." She seemed to have given up hope.

,"Not if we live in the village." Sam picked up her head, "By lingering in the village a little longer, we'll be accepted as residents in the village. In a week or so." Sam placed her body back on the rough ground, "It's our only hope of finding the New Rider."

Sam nodded, as she looked at the starry sky and fell asleep.

* * *

(Six months later)

,"It's gonna be real hard trying to hide you, Neelam." The blue dragon was now as tall as the oldest oak tree, and big as his home castle. Danny grew a little, having done fieldwork; he developed a strong physical appearance.

_,"Why is it named me so?"_ The dragon responded in the human's mind. The dragon matured as much as his human partner though is once in a while immature due to Tucker caring for him when Danny was working.

_,"Well, Sam said in a foreign land she had ventured, Neelam meant 'sapphire', so I thought it fit you perfectly, considering you're a blue dragon. And I didn't know if you were a boy or girl."_ Danny rubbed the back of his neck nervously; as he mentioned the maiden he had thought of so much of. He caught her name by her friend, Ray.

"_You fancy her?"_ Neelam questioned, sitting himself on the grassy ground, "_You fancy this maiden you speak of?"_

_,"Well, I..uh...you see..."_ Danny turned bright red, _"I think of her as a friend, to say."_

The blue dragon's eyes glistened, as laughter vibrated in his long neck, _"You seem quiet tense of mentioning this female human."_

Tucker came running into the field, "Danny! The Creepers are in the village looking for the girl you're crushing on!"

,"Why do you assume I like her?" His turned red, with anger and embarrassment. Seeing her in the village more often, playing with the village children, helping the elderly and creating herbs for the physician made him more interested in her.

,"Because your pants just fell." Tucker pointed down, where Danny saw his pants down to his ankles. Having ghost powers, since the lab incident back at the castle. He picked them up quickly. Neelam picked up Tucker and Danny by his claws, and placed them on his back.

_,"Hold on!"_ Opening his wings, he pushed off the ground and flew into the sky. Both boys held on to their lives trying to avoid some tall trees and attempting not to fall off as Neelam flew at great speed. Neelam landed on a field with a river, Danny and Tucker got off him, as they wobbly walked.

,"Neelam, what are you doing?" Danny managed to speak.

_,"You were in danger. As well, as the two maidens The Creepers wanted. They could tell of their suspicions and you would have been killed."_ Neelam explained calmly as Danny burst into rage.

,"If we go back, we can still save them." Danny thought quickly, hoping they aren't dead. Neelam's mighty tail swung in front of Danny, stopping him from going.

_,"I must decline your order, this time. They are probably gone to Vladimir's castle."_ Neelam's eyes were carefully on his human companion, pacing angrily. Then his eyes diverting to the trees in the forest, in the shadows stood a creature that jumped out and screeched.

_,"Get back!"_ Neelam pushed Tucker and Danny to the grass, as the creature appeared before them. It had the upper torso of an eagle or falcon, and the lower half of a horse, the size of large bear, having silvery feathers, sharp talons, and fiery amber eyes.

,"What the hell is that?!" Tucker looked to see the creature, not far from him and Danny, "It must have some courage to have attacked a dragon."

The creature opened its wings and flew toward Danny; Neelam quickly swung his tail, knocking the creature into the river, but it gets up on all fours. It ran to Tucker this time, again another swift movement of Neelam's tail making the creature fall back on the grassy ground. Blooded and bruised by the spikes of the dragon's tail, it only picked up its head, seeing Neelam walking toward it and pushing his claw on the creature's stomach, a precise movement that meant a dragon was about to eat its prey. Opening his jaw, Neelam saw a blue streak headed to Danny and quickly swished it away with his tail.

Looking closely, a figure was on the other side of the river, holding a bow at hand and a quiver of arrows on its back. The figure was Raven, Sam's friend. Her hair had grown a few inches past her waist and moved with the spring wind, her blue eyes were fierce, her tunic was short to her lower thigh, and was aiming a new arrow at Danny.

,"Back way from the injured creature." She demanded in a cold voice, her hand steadily on Danny. All three backed away from the creature.

Raven walked slowly to them, not to even jump over the river, as a matter-of-fact, she walked on the water. Her lowered her bow and arrow, as she hovered over the creature, then kneeled putting her hand on its head. Her hand began to glow, and then the creature jumped on all fours and stood beside Raven.

,"You will pay for hurting her!" Raven grabbed her bow and arrow, standing up aiming at Danny's head, "You will pay for nearly killing Trella!"

,"Do you take checks?" Tucker suggested

,"Trella?" Both Neelam and Danny thought, "She must mean the creature."

About to release the arrow, Raven lowered her bow and placed the arrow back in her quiver. Turning her back to them and walked with Trella beside her, going back into the forest. Danny saw Sam, hidden in the trees, but once Raven and Trella walked by the tree, she walked beside Raven and vanished in the woods.

* * *

Just so you guys know, Trella is a hippogriff- if you read Harry Potter than you know. A hippogriff is a mythical creature with the body of a horse and the wings and head of an eagle, born of the union of a male griffin and a filly.

And 'Neelam' means sapphire in Hindi.

Review please!


	4. Chapter 4: Rider Meets Maiden& Healer

,"Where could they have gone?" Danny ran through the forest, with Neelam and Tucker behind him. It had been only two days since he had seen Raven and Sam, and he still was searching for them. They had been tracking the creature's prints, the one named Trella.

,"Danny, I'm tired...Can we sit down and rest?" Tucker complained as he sat on the ground, legs throbbing with pain for running two days straight. He rubbed his legs, but only cease the pain for a while.

Neelam, stood in front of Danny, _"Tucker's right, Danny. If we wander around aimlessly, who's to know it'll lead us to The Creepers?"_

Danny couldn't argue, they all almost crossed paths with The Creepers nine times, but manage to go pass them inconspicuously. It took Danny some time, to force himself not to move another step and try to set up camp with Tucker as Neelam went to get something to eat.

,"Danny, relax." Tucker noticed how anxious Danny was when his eye twitched angrily as both started to make a fire.

,"How can I relax, when I ran off from my kingdom, endured hard labor, had a magical dragon pop out from my sister's present, and The Creepers are out to catch me, along with Vlad trying to kill me!" He sighed a breath, and let his hand pass through the tangles of his black hair.

A twig broke, Danny looked to his right to see a shadowed figure, among the trees. A boar the size of a toddler came out, running towards the boys, but they heard a screeched voice, and a hard thud that made the boar silence. The creature that had attacked Neelam appeared before them, with the boar in its beak. It nudged Danny gently; he opened his arms out where the creature dropped the lifeless boar.

."Cool! I call dibs on the ribs!" Tucker announced happily, not knowing the creature was leaving into the woods, "Danny?" He had seen Danny go into the forest, and he followed carrying the boar.

Danny had his eyes on the creature, which was now running aimlessly but avoiding trees. Finally the creature stopped, and sat in a dug hole, sleeping. Danny stopped Tucker before he could speak or do anything stupid for that matter.

,"Do you hear that?" Danny whispered, when he heard what he thought mermaids singing in their annual moon praising. But it sounded more human, then again not human at all.

,"Hear what?" Tucker asked as he started to eat the boar. Of course he couldn't hear anything, he sounds like those loud crunchy popcorn eaters at the theaters, disturbing and annoying others who want to watch the damn movie.

,"Stop crunching and listen!" Danny heard this time two voices; he doesn't know if they are mermaids trying to drown foolish men, sirens wanting to have unknown men as their meal or water nymphs trying to lure men to their death, "What do you think that is?"

,"Don't know what it is?" Danny shook his head, "Then let's follow it!" Danny followed the voices; closer and closer the voices were getting clear. I promise to be with you, forever if I ever could...The voices led them to two girls, one of them was on the ground leaning on a log, while the other was in a river with a large waterfall. They looked closely to see that it was Ray and Sam.

Ray got up from the ground, and grabbed her bow, and quickly took out a arrow from her quiver and aimed it right at Danny's and Tucker's direction, but before they could run she had already stuck both of them to a tree with only one arrow.

,"I blame you!" Tucker looked at Danny, who weakly smiled, as Raven was before them.

,"Great! I found another pair of idiotic peeping toms!" Raven placed one hand on her hip while the other gripped her bow, "Do you know the punishment for staring at a bathing woman?"

,"We didn't see anything! I swear!" Those were the exact word that stopped Raven from getting another arrow, and made her look at both boys with great care. She looked to see if it was The Creepers skin disguise, they kill people then seal their wounds, but devouring their organs; so they may wear the dead person's skin as a cloak.

,"What business do you have here?" Raven questioned sternly as she slowly edged herself to grab the vane at the end of her arrow.

,"We came to thank that creature for giving us the boar." Tucker looked at his meal that he dropped when he was hanged by the arrow, "Now, can I have the boar back? I'm damn hungry!"

,"You must be the stupid one." Raven whispered under her breath, "Seeing as your attention is mainly on the boar you must be the carnivorous Tucker."

Tucker was flattered, "What else do you know about me?"

,"That you're a wanna-be Casanova, narrow-minded, egotistical, imbecile." Raven glanced at Danny, and took his right hand, and saw the blue dragon, then gasp, "I was right! You're the New Rider!"

* * *

'He's the New Rider! The boy who kept staring at me, as though I came from another universe, but then again he stared at me with great interest' Sam dipped her head into the water as she had the image of Danny in her mind 'Why do I think of him at a time of war? I have no interest in relationships as other princess and maidens; I'm different than them, I care of others than myself' She picked her head and opened her eyes, to see the river filled with lilacs and vanilla, then a fog being formed around her.

She stood up, revealing a piece of clothing covering her feminine areas, "Ray? Ray!"

No answer. Sam walked past the lilacs and vanilla covered water, only to stop at the waterfall. The rushing water pouring down was the only noise, but she still felt uncomfortable as though someone's presence was before her and invisible for her not to see.

,"Princess, I've found you!" an eerie voice said in her ear, she felt clammy hands with claws on her pale shoulders. 'No, those damn goblins, again!' The voice was thick of an Eastern region accent, and was about taller than her by mere inches, "We found you! At last, for six years we found you!" The jeering and cheering of thirty goblins came from behind her as well, "We'll be escorting you to the Kingdom of Casper to marry Lord Vladimir's distant nephew Daschle Baxter!"

,"And if I refuse?!" Sam's voice was as bold and strong, as her own sword.

,"Then we shall have you as our own bride!" She felt his green hand near her waist, as others laughed with pleasure. She quickly thought about the goblin origin, culture and traditions, to help her get away.

,"You're Queen would not be pleased!" The laughter stopped, as did the movement of the green hand, "It is under her power to choose who would wed who, and who shall fight in honor. You should not dare disobey your Queen's decision and word for you swore fealty to her and only her."

The Goblin words gossiped of what she spoke was true. Then suddenly an unknown presence came into the fog, and was extremely malevolent by the way it cut through the fog. The goblins made a human shield shaped as a circle with Sam and the leader of the goblins in the middle.

,"Sam? Sam!" Raven's voice cut through the fog like a knife cutting someone's throat. A blue streak went pass the goblins, destroying the shield, "There you are, you damn bastards!"

The Goblin words told the others to not allow anyone grab hold of the Princess, and defend the leader. The Leader, held Sam's shoulders tightly her blood slowly streamed down as one of the Leader's claws plunged into her pale skin.

,"Danny, Tucker! Come here!" Raven's voice spoke again, and then said an incantation that was fast for Sam to hear and confusing to the goblins. But then the fog cleared up, revealing Danny and Tucker dumbstruck of what Raven did, and Raven's hands stretched to her sides, hands upward and eyes glowed white as the foaming water of the waterfall.

,"A sorceress!" The goblins held their weapons tighter as Raven lowered her hands and arms, and her eyes reverted back to dark blue.

,"I prefer not to be associated with treacherous magic healers." She held her bow tightly, when they referred to her as a demonic, backstabbing former magic healers or Angel Witches as her people called them for their angelic personalities and hearts, and their mystical magic teachings of the good. She walked on the water, once again, but this time grabbing the nearest goblin by his tunic collar, "Don't you dare call me that!"

,"Fire at will!" Goblins ran toward her, but Trella came and attacked them pushing them out of the river. All groaned in pain, at the impact they had endured.

Raven dropped the goblin to the ground, "You have ten seconds!" He ran out, and as Sam mentally counted three, Raven grabbed an arrow and shot the goblin in the back, he fell down to the ground, "Ten!"

,"Any other step and the Princess will be killed!" The leader now held Sam by the hair, with a knife close to her neck, "Princess will die, if you come closer!" His thick voice trembled, but to Sam's dismay not his entire body.

Raven still had her arrow aiming at him, but as he blinked, the arrow already hit the goblin's shoulder. Giving Sam an opportunity, she cracked his ribs with her elbow, and grabbed the knife he held and placed it behind his spine.

,"You have nothing now." Raven walked toward the goblin, picking up his neck with her arrow's head, "Who sent you, goblin?!" Her voice angered with hostility.

,"Lord Vladimir sent for Princess. He wanted a Mistress for his nephew and powerful kingdom to rule, by his control." His entire skin was green, wearing armor with Vladimir's emblem, on top of a brown dirty tunic. He looked at Raven; his black slit eyes begging for mercy but knew they were deceiving eyes with crocodile tears. She knew his green hand claws would stab them, and his black eyes told the plan of a murder.

,"You'd be a waste to my arrows," His eyes lightened, thinking she had fallen into his trap, "But, then again, you don't deserve to live!" She forced the arrowhead into his throat that began to glow blue. He screamed with agony, as the blue light touched his evil body.

,"No! NOO! I SHALL NOT BE PURIFED BY THE SORCERESS'S DECEIT TO THE LORD!" Raven angrily lifted the arrow within his throat and chanted an incantation that made him disappear into a pile of dust that was cleaned by the wind.

Sam fell to her knees while gripping the goblin's knife. She was in pain, especially by the amount of blood she lost. Raven grabbed Sam before she fell face first in the river, and held her in her arms, "Danny hold Sam, while I finish this!' Danny came to Raven, holding Sam bridal style; her cloak suddenly appeared on her.

Raven grabbed another arrow within her quiver and aimed it precisely at the group of goblins. As she released it, the arrow produced a blue glow that streaked the wind, and hit the goblins. All begged for mercy, but she never gave mercy to those who tried or did kill someone, that left others mourning for their lost ones.

* * *

,"Could you show me how to do that?" Tucker asked as Raven placed Sam on her bed of gathered hay and grass, as she placed her hand on Sam's bloodied shoulder, as it glowed blue.

,"Magic cannot be taught by those who do not grow up with magic as part of their own family." Raven released her hand, and saw that Sam's blood decreased from pouring. The magic healer wrapped a bandage around Sam's shoulder, to let the bleeding ceased, and looked at Tucker who still gazed at her, "Why are you two still here?"

,"So you can train us, and to ensure Sam's wounds heal." Danny finally spoke, and Neelam sat beside him, eating an already dead cow. He had been gone for some time, but it was because his winged was injured by a fireball thrown by The Creepers that mistook him for a hippogriff. He tried to fly away, but was so badly injured that he had to create a tunnel underground to escape, then close up the tunnel, and by walking he found Danny and Tucker by Raven and the unconscious Sam.

,"I can't just train anyone." She placed a wet towel on Sam's forehead, "I'm a very...strict teacher, you can say. But I, honestly, can't teach anyone who wasn't experience magic at a young age."

,"What do you mean experience magic at a young age?" Tucker confusingly asked, as he bit into his dinner: the boar.

,"You know? Seeing someone do magic, or even a magic healer mending a wound or cut. That kind of experience with magic. I've always experience magic since many magic healers lived in my village..." She looked at Sam's wound and glanced back to Danny and Tucker, "But now we have to train you Dragon Rider."

"We?!" Danny curved an eyebrow, "Who else is going to train me? Tucker?" Getting an angry glare from Tucker.

,"No, he hasn't experience Dragons before." Ray looked at Tucker, with what was thought she was being very arrogant, "But Sam has, she had seen, touch, even fed a dragon at an extreme young age."

,"I had that experience with Neelam." 'What makes this girl so different from me, or actually what makes this girl so equally like me?' Danny glanced at the fire that was the only spark of life in the pitch-black forest.

,"Well, Neelam isn't vicious towards you. This dragon was very evil, it's heart tainted by its former master's treachery toward him. Sam was only five or seven years, and she had seen his ruby eyes that spoke of death, but saw no evil within them, she had touched his scales that burned more than the flames of hell, but felt sweet warmth, and fed his razor teeth, but he never bit the hand that fed him." Glancing back at Sam, who's wound seem to stop hurting, by how calm her facial expression was, "She did what no other knight, or magic healer would do- tame a dragon, when she wasn't even a Dragon Rider. She also avoided any harm because she knew the dragon felt upset that his Rider betrayed him and guilty for not protecting the other Riders."

Sam shifted in her sleep, opening her eyes slowly, "Ray?" Raven kneeled to Sam, "Sing me a song."

,"But...I..." She glanced at the two boys and dragon, and secretly blushed at her request, "B-but I-I...But I hate singing"

,"Stop lying, Ray..." Her chest rise, gently closed her eyes, "Sing one more time...for me...please." Peeking, she saw Raven sitting back on the log, and Trella besides her pushing her back, as though she was urging her to sing.

,"...Only this time..." She closed her eyes, not wanting to be stared at by the boys and the dragon while she sang. She drew a breath,"_...I promise to be with you, forever if I ever could. I promise to sing you a lullaby, to give you the stars in the sky. I promise to be there, if ever you're real scared. I promise to hold you tight, throughout the entire night. I promise that we'll stay for the sunset, to say for as long as we never meant..._"She opened her eyes, to see the snoring boys asleep on the ground, but the hippogriff and dragon still away," _I promise to help you up, even by your lack of luck. I promise you, never to leave anywhere, always be by you, forever...to-ge-ther..._" She fell asleep, with her hippogriff's feathers as a pillow.

For now, all of them had a moment of peace; no worries, no wars, no pain, no death, nothing bad existed to them anymore. For a moment in time, they actually never worried what happen to them, right now the beautiful song brought peace in their sleep. Tonight, there would be no wars in the borders of their dreams, but only for tonight...

* * *

Kind of long, but I had 2 use my imagination somewhere. So I hope u like it, and I'm working on the next chapter, as I type. So please, review! Was it bad? Good? Too Long?


	5. Chapter 5: Training

Sitting by the river, as the sun peaked up of the horizon, she was in a strong fighting stance, moving her sword powerfully with her body. She flinched at the slightest movement of her shoulder; she still hasn't fully recovered from the goblin incident. Sam held her shoulder gently, placing her sword back in her sheath.

Glancing at the sleeping Raven on Trella's feathers, the knocked out boys leaning on the sapphire dragon, she thought of what to do next. Let them go on hers and Ravens journey? Or leave them to fend for themselves on their own? She sighed, and let out a grunt of pain, coming from her shoulder. She sat on a rock by the river, taking off the bandages, clenching her teeth, and pushed her shoulder on the waterfall. She twitched in pain, "Are you okay?"

She looked back to see the boy she often seen in the village, "I'm fine." She covered her shoulder, getting up and facing the New Rider, "So, you're the New Rider?"

,"Yeah." Danny glanced at her shoulder, "Does your shoulder hurt?"

,"It's going to take more than a goblin to stop me from getting back up to fight" She looked at the bandages in her hands, and threw them away, as she got back up, "Right now, I have to train you. So, are you up for the challenge?"

He thought for a while, and then nodded sternly, "Yes. I want to learn...Wow, that's a first, that I've ever wanted to learn something..." He saw her picking up sticks from the ground, throwing one to Danny, and keeping one at hand for herself.

,"We're going to be fighting, but only for me to see how strong you are and what I have to work with." She gripped the stick she held, as Danny stared at his.

,"No way am I hitting a girl!" He held the stick to his side, to show that he wasn't fighting her.

,"Good...then this should be real easy!" She hit his stomach that sent him down in the river, as she stood proudly on top of the rock, "Now, will you fight me?"

He got up, gripping his stick tightly, and in anger ran toward her but she blocked him. Pushing him away, she felt herself being pushed as well, making her fallback creating dust clouds on her shoes. Running towards him, she knelled down turning her body around with her left leg out making him fall to the ground. She dropped the stick, and grabbed her sword, placing it close to his neck, "You have to control your anger...Anger is very close from danger..."

She placed her sword back in its sheath, lending out a hand to Danny, who miraculously accepted. He dropped the stick, "Still need some practice, but better than any beginning Rider I met..."

* * *

Raven smiled as her head stay laid close to Trella's feathers, but soon lifted her head gently making Trella awaken and look at Raven's direction. She petted her beak, as a soft growl reverberated in her feathered throat, "I'm safe, Trella...I'm here." A twig broke, which Ray quickly reacted by getting up and aimed an arrow at the cluster of tress behind her.

,"Ray, what's wrong?" Sam came down the rock and walked towards Ray, who still had her arrow at hand and her mind slowly focusing on the twig that had broken.

,"Something's here?" She looked at Sam and Danny with her fierce eyes, "I heard it, it was not far from where Tucker is sleeping- Oh no Tucker!" Turning her head she saw two trolls, standing above a sleeping Tucker. The trolls had blue skin, yellow-green slit eyes, large feet and hands, and both having large clubs with spikes on the end.

,"Humans! Such a delicacy in our parts!" A troll looked down at Tucker with a watery mouth, then looked up to see Sam, Danny, and Ray, but their main attentions were on Sam, "Look, Gorgon! It's the Princess of Sorcery! The Princess from the South, that befriended a maiden with a mother who was a sorceress!"

Sam stepped back a little, and her eyes widen. 'How did they know? I thought Trolls have a short attention span, and are complete morons? Guess I was wrong!' The trolls walked over Tucker, still asleep; they both had a large evil grin on their faces. But stopped once they had seen Raven aiming it precisely at them.

,"The young sorceress! The sorceress with the bird on her back! I will kill them both!" One of the trolls ran toward her, but Neelam attacked it, having his sharp teeth near its neck and his claws so eager to rip its flesh, "Dragon! I thought all Dragon Riders work for Lord Vladimir!"

The other troll stared angrily at Sam and Raven, pointing his greasy index finger towards them, "You two! The Bird Sorceress and The Dark Princess! You are...alive!"

Ray aimed an arrow towards him, her anger taking over her once more, but Sam touched her bow and signaled her to step down. 'Why is she doing this? She only fights for self-defense, and only allows me to fight for her since I swore fealty towards her. Why the sudden change, Princess?' Raven stepped back, pulling Tucker's legs away from the troll, seeing as he was still asleep.

,"You intend to fight me, Dark Princess?" He laughed, as Sam stood boldly to him; her wounds hadn't healed yet but she still held her sword tightly. She gazed at the Troll for a moment or two, then with her sword made a star in the air, and moved her sword in a slanted direction; within minutes the Troll stopped laughing, and was wide-eyed as he fell to the ground with a loud thump, with her sword's tip close to the troll's throat.

Looking above, he saw the maiden that had now put him in his early grave, "She is no sorceress, I am no princess...Get that through your skull, damn Troll!" She put her sword in its sheath, and walked away. Neelam still had the other Troll, but released him out of pity as both of them ran in fear.

,"Danny," Neelam looked at Danny, with confusion, "Why did those Trolls call them 'Dark Princess' and 'Bird Sorceress'? It seems quite odd, for a Troll to call a human such a title."

,"You're right! Trolls never give out titles to just regular humans!" He stared at Sam, who was looking at the mountains. While Ray tried to wake up Tucker, "Why would Trolls know them? Or do they know the Trolls?" Staring back at Sam, who stared back at him? 'Why did they call you Dark Princess?'

,"Why are you staring at me?" Danny woke up from his stare, with Sam some-what glaring at him, "Why are you staring at me? I don't like to have eyes on me."

* * *

,"WHAT?! There was Trolls in our camp, and you didn't wake me up!" Tucker nagged behind Raven, Sam and Danny as they continued to move away from the Kingdom of Casper.

,"You were sleeping like a rock, we couldn't wake you up even if we tried!" She held Trella's feathers as she walked, examine the mid-morning noises of birds, "You couldn't wake up, even if a bomb was beside you, you wouldn't have the time to wake up and run! You'd be-"

,"Ray! Not another word! " Raven silenced, everyone stared at Sam who up front looked at Raven with anger in her eyes. Suddenly her eyes soften as did her facial expression and voice, "Sorry, Ray. I didn't mean to yell, it's just...I don't want to hear those words...Let's keep going!" They continued to walk, but in an unusual silence until it was broken when they reached the wood's heart.

Ray pointed an arrow towards a tree, suddenly stray branches and leaves scattered on the ground. She looked warily around, "Don't worry, Ray! I'll protect you!" Tucker suddenly jumped from an unknown tree, and landed on Ray's back.

,"Get...Off...Of...Me!" She pushed him aside, as she got up from the ground. Looking at Sam, she saw she was staring at something within a bush, "Sam? What's wrong?"

,"Nothing. I thought I saw something." She glanced around, "Let's stop here for today. We might've just walked for a few hours but I can tell we won't be disturbed this time." She dropped her bag onto the ground, to signify that they'll be settle there for now.

,"Who made you boss?" Tucker thought, "If anyone should tell us what to do, it should be Danny- he has a dragon!" Danny slapped his face at Tucker's ignorance.

,"Look, Tucker." She glared at him from a distance, "I know Danny is the New Rider, but he doesn't know much of Dragons; how their society is, how many are probably left, what powers they have. I know more than I should...so right now I'm leading us to the Rebellion, that reside in a secret hideout. He will train there, as well as here...Any questions?"

,"Uhh...why did those Trolls call you 'Dark Princess' and 'Bird Sorceress'? What does it mea-"?

,"Nothing!" Ray glanced at Danny and Tucker, who were startled by her voice, "It means nothing! It is of no concern of the New Rider and Dragon Healer..." Ray stood very still, until Trella came pressing her beak gently on her cheek, Responding to pet her beak and feathers.

,"Dragon Healer?" Tucker looked at Danny, then Sam.

,"Dragon Healers are like magic healers, but have more magical powers. But that's all I know, Ray is the one with more knowledge of Dragon Healers..." She glanced at Ray.

She sighed when she sat down the wood floor, "That's right. Dragon Healers are to heal the Riders and the Dragon when they are wounded or near death. They are consider Angel Healers, in my village but most of them went to Vlad's side" She looked to the sky, trying to remember. "Dragon Healers produce great magic, and have a good eye for medicinal herbs; some are pacifist because of their medical powers, but others carry weapons to defend themselves. I know more, but it's more complicated to say than to do."

,"So, how am I a Dragon Healer?" Tucker still looked questioned, "I'm not really 'connected' with Neelam that much as Danny is."

,"Most Dragon Healers are siblings that have a close bond to the actual Rider, or are friends that are close to a brother or sister. Dragon Riders and Dragon Healers have a bond much like the Rider and Dragon, but this bond is of friendship and loyalty started at a young age. While the Dragon is of destiny, but the more communication with the Dragon a strong bond will form, even from evil people that can change back to good- if that is there choice."

,'I have powers?! Awesome!" Tucker looked at his hands, it suddenly had a green-like glow, "Whoa! I didn't do anything!"

,"Actually, you did. You got excited." Ray leaned against the tree, "You have to learn to focus your energy, so you won't hurt anyone that you really meant to help...I'll teach you, if you are willing to cooperate."

,"So, when do we start?" Tucker appeared before Ray.

* * *

,"What exactly do I have to do?" Danny held the stick, very annoying twirling it around with his fingers. Sam held a much larger stick in her hand.

,"Fight me, of course." She positioned herself in an attack, glancing at Danny not paying any interest, "C'mon! At least cooperate with me for today!"

,"I don't fight girls!" He angrily looked at her, continuing to play with the stick.

,"Neither do I, but here you are." Danny's head picked up at her insult, looking at her. A smirk formed on her lips, making him blush; he looked away, "Afraid you'll lose.

,"No!" His red cheeks disappeared, and replaced with anger, "I just don't want to hurt you! "

,"You couldn't do it even if you tried!" She attacked him with the stick gripped in her hands. He grabbed his stick and pushed it to her stick; making her trapped with her back against a tree.

,"You were saying...?" Danny was close to her face, that both stood stunned. But soon enough, Sam loosened her right hand and held it towards Danny,"Cabk!" (1)

Danny was pushed back into another tree; he opened his eyes to see Sam disappear before he could blink. He walked to he middle of the flat ground, turning his head at the slightest sound. He didn't notice, Sam gently land o the ground behind him. She slowly swung the stick at the legs, making him fall. She dropped the stick and took out her sword that was surprisingly near his throat.

,"Dragon Riders' Lesson number one: Don't let your guard down!" She stood proudly above him, and gazed at his confused face. It seemed quite...cute? She shook the thought, as she placed her sword back in her sheath and he got up, "You also have to know the basic spells, but that'll come later on..."

* * *

,"Catch this!" Raven threw a palm-sized rock to Tucker.

,"What's this for?" Tucker held the rock with no interest. Raven grabbed a rock similar to Tucker's. She looked at him, than down at the rock. Focusing.

,"Tliavete!" (2) The rock lifted off her hand by inches, until she said,"Alnd!" (3) It dropped into her palm, gently.

,"What was that?" Tucker stared at awe.

,"That was a spell, that Dragon Healers use. Usually the spells are often said backwards, they are rarely said scrambled. While saying the spells, you have to focus on what you want the spell to do. In order to levitate the rock you either say 'Etativel' or the scrambled spell 'Yliavete'." She encouraged him to try the spell.

,"Tliavete!" The rock floated slightly. He smiled, then the rock rammed into his head, making him fall on the ground, "What happened?"

,"You didn't control your emotions." Raven hovered over him, with a hand on her hip,"I told you in order to exert a powerful spell, and you must control your emotions." She stood up, to see the rock still floating. She placed her hand in front of her,"Alnd!" The rock stopped and landed on the ground.

,"Easy for you to say! You don't have a sense of humor!" Tucker got up, to see an angered Raven,"You don't even slightly smile!" She smiled, but evilly,"See, now isn't that better!"

,"Yes it is." She took a few steps back,"Afll!" (4) A large branch came fall down on Tucker's back,"You need some help on sensing particular objects and beings. You, also, don't seem to understand that I'm the teacher!"

He groaned in pain, as the bark of wood seem to be crushing his spine,"We're going to need a lot more work done!"

* * *

SPELL TRANSLATIONS-

1- Back

2-Levitate

3-Land

4- Fall

Sorry, it took so long. But it took some time to finish this chapter.

**(SNEAK PEEK)-Next chapter or so**

**Everyone looked at Trella, who was screeching extremely loud for some reason,"Trella? Trella, stop! Stop, please!" Raven petted her beak, but was pushed to the ground. Looking up at the chaotic hippogriff, Raven stayed where she was, completely emotionless until Trella lifted her forelegs that she knew was for self-defense. She was clawed on her face and upper torso, but not screaming for pain or help.**

**,"Psto!" (1) Danny yelled, making the hippogriff calm down and coming back, as though she was possessed by something. Her head moved around to see the shocked faces of the boys and girl, but not her master was there. Hearing a groan, she looked down to see her own master on the ground bloodied and scarred. She sat herself down to Ray, who looked at her with gentle eyes though she was wounded, reaching out a hand to her**

1- Stop

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	6. Never Leaving, Now Knowing

The evening cloak began to cover the sky as Danny leaned against a tree in pain with Neelam by his side being slightly bruised and cut by both Ray's and Sam's training. Both girls were serious about being strict teachers- Ray made Tucker trained that allowed him to acquire physical effort and Sam trained Danny both physically and mentally.

Tucker stagger to a tree, and fell against it. He closed his eyes, "Everything hurts! So much! My back, my neck, my-"

,"-My pupil is a crying child!" He opened his right eye to see Ray towering over him and Sam a distance away placing an armload of sticks on the woodland floor, "But since you're sore and it's your first day of training, I'll see this the other way."

Sam glanced at Danny when he moved his head a little, "What did you think of your first day of real training, New Rider?"

,"Truly...painful." He stared at her as she placed a small bundle of loose leaves and stray sticks into a large pile in front of her.

Ray stood in the middle of both trees and spread her arms out as she made a powdered circle around herself, "Hlseid su mrfo lal Vlei! (1)" Her eyes glowed white as the powder spread out and went through the trees. Her eyes returned to normal, as she sat on the ground and a flap of wings moved her dark hair, "Trella..." She pets her beak gently.

,"Did you put the shield up, Ray?" She nodded, "Then all we need is fire..." She held two smooth rocks as she tried to make a spark. No spark, no fire. Danny stared at her as she tried to start the fire, then a sudden purple spark came once she whispered, "Efri! (2)" Another purple spark appeared that started the fire.

_,"Did you see that Neelam?"_ Danny lifted his head to Neelam_, "She created fire...but with an odd purple spark. Do you know any reason how?"_

_,"No, not at all."_ Neelam lifted his long serpentine neck, closely observing Sam as she started to feed the hungry fire with some leaves. He thought of Sam as an odd maiden, but Ray was much more odd. Still, he found Sam particularly mysterious as though half of everything she says is true while the other half was hiding something. Something that involves her in a way.

,"Let me see your wounds!" Sam looked at Danny, as the fire showed the clear condition Danny was in; he had a black eye, bruises on his arms, a few cuts along his shoulders, and blood dripping down the corners of his lips.

,"I'm alright!" He didn't want to be pestered by Sam. Though, he knew how concern she was for him, he still didn't want to be bothered because of a few training injuries, "Don't worry. I'm fine."

,"No you are not!" Sam protested, "I'm your teacher now Danny. Now as your teacher, you must tell me the truth even if you don't want anyone else to know...Now, let me see your wounds" Finally, Danny gave in.

He felt a creep of heat across his cheeks, as her hand touched his skin. Her hand touched his shoulder gently as she examined how deep the cuts were and how long it was, "I need to see if you have any more wounds. Do you mind taking off your tunic shirt?"

,"Excuse me?" Danny looked up at Sam who was still examining his wounds once more.

,"Just do it!" Sam demanded, as she grabbed her bag and rummaged through it and took out five tiny jars and placed them on the ground. She looked up at Danny, who was shirtless; his muscles were firm and hard.

,"Now, let me see..." She placed her hand on his abdominal to see a few bruises, and a cut that began from his chest down his mid-abdominal. She grabbed a jar that had a green-like smoothly gunk; she scooped a little of it with her two fingers and spread it on his cuts, "Your cuts will heal quickly, as for your bruises..." She cleaned off some left over gunk on the brim of the jar, and then place her hand gently on his bruises, "Aleh hty onuswd! (3)"

A purple glow came from her palm, as the bruises seem to disappear before Danny's very eyes. He stared at her as she placed all the jars into her bag, "Don't worry! You'll learn how to heal wounds and mend bones as soon as Ray gets the proper materials for your training..."

He continued to stare at Sam, as she looked over her shoulder to see Ray healing Tucker's injuries making a girly shrill in pain. She laughed gently...

That was the first time he heard her laugh, let alone smile. Though he admired her greatly, he found her quite solitude and strict in whatever she sets to do. Now the soft side of Sam was showing as her dark and rigid demeanor crumbled like a wall breaking down. He thought Sam was beautiful, but was cold as ice...now seeing her smile and laugh made her warmer than Danny ever thought she was...

* * *

The fire danced on top of the wood and leaves, as well as consuming it. He stared at the famed face of Ray, as she sharpened her arrows. She looked at her arrows and was patient with time; she sharpened her arrows with care until they shined but made sure they were sharp enough to cut a leaf in a faint movement. He stared as her eyes warily examined an arrowhead as she sharpened it with a small rock and places it back in her quiver. She had another arrow in her hand, but it was completely dull from the arrowhead and she began to sharpen it.

Danny felt incarcerated without Neelam, but he knew that Neelam needed to hunt for him to survive. Without his dragon, Danny felt almost intimidated by Ray, especially as she sharpened her arrows in front of him.

The hippogriff sat next to her patiently. She placed the arrow to her side, as she petted the mixed breed of a filly and griffin, making the creature create a delightful clicking-like sound in its beak. She smiled...

,"Why does that creature follow you around everywhere?" Danny spoke, breaking the long silence. He saw Raven look across from the fire with confused eyes.

,"This creature happens to be a hippogriff, the offspring of a filly and griffin...And her name is Trella, but short for Estrella, which comes from the Southern region meaning Star. My mother gave her to me when it was the anniversary of my fifth birth day; though our village did not approve of mystical creatures as household pets, until my mother convinced them to change the law..." Ray stood quiet as Trella cocked her head side-to-side trying to solve what is wrong with her master.

,"Which village did you live?" He saw the sadness in her face as he asked her, but quickly responded," If you don't mind me asking?"

,"I lived in a village full of magic-healers, near the kingdom of..." Ray quickly thought of the village her great grandmother village where she use to live,"...near the kingdom of Madre Tlalli..." She responded in a quick foreign click-like voice, that confused Danny, "Sorry, but that's all I knew about my village- I didn't even knew what our village name meant."

,"In my village, children do not get their names until the age of three or five, then we'd change our 'child name' at age fifteen or sixteen into a name that we like or matches our personality- this shows that we are now entering the world of manhood or womanhood..." Ray looked at Danny, as he absorbed all of her information.

,"What was your child name?..." Danny placed a piece of wood into the fire to keep it going. He waited for her response; she stared at the cracking fire...

,"I think it was Yoloti, or Meztli or...Quetzalxochitl..." She stood completely quite once she said the last word, that sounded alien to him, but pretty.

* * *

A shadow hid between the dark trees, its eyes glared at a girl beside a hippogriff, and another female figure healing someone's wounds. It took out a flute and began playing-but no noise came from it. At least, that' what you might think...

* * *

Everyone looked at Trella, who was screeching extremely loud for some reason, "Trella? Trella, stop! Stop, please!" Raven petted her beak, but was pushed to the ground. Looking up at the chaotic hippogriff, Raven stayed where she was, completely emotionless until Trella lifted her forelegs, which she knew was for self-defense. She was clawed on her face and upper torso, but not screaming for pain or help.

,"Psto!" (4) Danny yelled, making the hippogriff calm down and coming back, as though she was possessed by something. Her head moved around to see the shocked faces of the boys and girl, but her master was not there. Hearing a groan, she looked down to see her own master on the ground bloodied and scarred. She sat herself down to Ray, who looked at her with gentle eyes though she was wounded, reaching out a hand to her.

Trella licked Ray's cuts, until she shut her eyes into unconsciousness. At that point, Sam guided the hippogriff away from Ray, as she tended her bloodied companion, "Ray...please be safe..." Sam grabbed the jars and applied various medical substances on Ray's cut up body.

Once Sam finished treating Ray's shredded body; everyone began to hear faint whisperings of a flute that disappeared as quickly as it was discovered.

* * *

,"I don't want that thing near her or anyone else for that matter!" Tucker responded angrily, glaring at the hippogriff that was tied to a tree far from everyone.

,"Tucker, this is ridiculous! Just untie her! I'm sure she never meant to harm Ray!" Danny tried to reason with his ignorant ass of a friend, but Tucker never budged.

,"Why should I let go of that...damn monster!" Sam turned her head to see Ray staggering towards the tied hippogriff- her pet. The creature lowered its head apologetically to its owner, as she began to see blood spill from the corner of her lip and even more blood stream through her tunic.

A small grunt came from her bloodied lips, "Larese..."(5) The rope untied itself and fell to the ground, freeing the regretting Trella. Ray staggered gently to Trella, hugging her large neck, "I know you never wanted to hurt me...Estrella."

Tucker and Danny turned to Sam's direction, as they both say the blood-drenched Ray hug Trella affectionately, "Hippogriffs..." Ray began," are truly loyal to their master, unless their master abandons or abuses them, then they can never trust anyone...I had Trella for a long time and I...have... no intentions...of leaving...her..." Her words disappeared with the wind, as she fainted but was caught by a feathered neck that cushioned her fall

I won't leave...No!...I'll never leave...Never...

* * *

SPELL TRANSLATIONS-

1- Shield us from all Evil!

2- Fire

3- Heal thy wounds!

4- Stop!

Sorry, it took so long. But it took some time to finish this chapter.

Estrella is Spanish for Star. Madre is Spanish for Mother.

Tlalli is Nahuatl/Aztec for Earth. Yoloti is Nahuatl/Aztec for Heart. Meztli is Nahuatl/Aztec for Moon. Quetzalxochitl is Nahuatl/Aztec for Precious Flower/Queen.

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	7. Chapter 7: Secrets of Our Past

SORRY 4 THE DELAY! I'VE BEEN VERY BUSY WITH SCHOOL!

* * *

_A small grunt came from her bloodied lips, "Larese..."(1). The rope untied itself and fell to the ground, freeing the regretting Trella. Ray staggered gently to Trella, hugging her large neck, "I know you never wanted to hurt me...Estrella."_

_Tucker and Danny turned to Sam's direction, as they both say the blood-drenched Ray hug Trella affectionately, "Hippogriffs..." Ray began," are truly loyal to their master, unless their master abandons or abuses them, then they can never trust anyone...I had Tella for a long time and I...have... no intentions...of leaving...her..." Her words disappeared with the wind, as she fainted but was caught by a feathered neck that cushioned her fall_

_I won't leave...No!...I'll never leave...Never..._

* * *

Bright rays of the sun partially blinded Ray as her eyes began to open. She quickly replayed last night's dilemma, and her upper body quickly shot up with her eyes widen. She noticed her hair was placed down, and she didn't have on her bloodied tunic but a clean, nice tunic.

,"You shouldn't be moving so soon..." She turned her head around to see a some-what relieved Tucker, with a small towel inside a basin of hot water by his side. She blinked twice, before she placed herself down on soft silver feathers.

Tucker stared at the startled Ray, as she ran her pale fingers through Trella's silvery ocean of feathers. He took the small towel out of the basin and placed it on Ray's forehead.

She slowly gained full consciousness, but didn't even bother to stand up to see if she regained her strength. She glanced a Tucker, as he stood before her, "Ray, I'm sorry...I didn't mean to..."

She turned her head angrily the other way. Nothing but silence.

What? She looks like she doesn't have any emotions. He stared at her as she diverted her eyes down...It's like she's not even human. He warily watched Ray, as she slowly drifted to sleep.

* * *

,"If you don't mind, may I ask you a question..." Sam nodded her head, as both, teacher and New Rider, walked together," Alright. Why are you and Ray nomads?"

,"We didn't like staying in our households, forced to be bounded by our families strict rules and traditions." She glanced at Danny as he began picking up sticks along the ground, "Ray, wanted to be a nomad for another reason, but I cannot speak of her personal issues."

She walked ahead of Danny, to a tree with broaden leaves; placing her hand on the bark of the tree, which automatically dropped the greenest leaves and placing them inside her knapsack, tenderly. Her hand glowing in a faintly visible purple as she grasp leaf by leaf.

He had to admit it, this journey seems like a dream, but he knew it was reality, awaken reality. The blue dragon, the magic healers/warriors, magical creatures- was it real? Or a really long dream? He feels part of this journey was real as the color of the sky is blue, while the other half felt like he was soon going to wake up from his own dream.

,"Which region are you from?" He looked at her, but she responded with a solitude look in her eyes. He backed off, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

,"I want to tell you..." Her voice spoke softly as she turned her entire body towards him, "But at the moment our primary concern is Ray's condition, Tucker's training and your training. I'll tell you afterwards..." She walked ahead of him once more, and when he finally caught up with her there was an uncomfortable silence between the two.

CRASH! The sound of a tree smashing down to the floor- the same direction where Ray and Tucker were! Then the sound of crackling fire came along with an immense crash that knocked down some trees and sent a blue dragon headed their way. The was skidded across a few feet away from Danny and Sam; Danny suddenly fell to his knees feeling a large amount of pain on the right side of his entire body.

,"Neelam!" Sam placed her hand on the blue dragon. His bloodied scales were like broken blue tiles, oozing with red. Her hand glowed purple as she touched his scales gently.

_Danny..._ Neelam half-lid eyes directed toward the injured Rider.

,"I'll help him!" Neelam stared at Sam from the corner of his eye. _She read my thoughts! No one ever was able to read my thoughts! Except for Danny! But how can she...?_

,"Danny, can you stand?" Sam was kneeling beside him now, "Answer me, Danny. Can you stand?"

,"I think so..." He slowly rose off the ground, but still felt a bit of pain, "Yeah, I'm fine. I'll find out where's Ray and Tucker." He ran as fast as he could, not caring or rather not knowing Sam's objections.

,"He shouldn't be running off to stupid actions...especially without knowing their consequences..." She turned herself to the dragon that began lifting itself with its tail, "You shouldn't move too much, you might open up a wound."

_How can you read my thoughts?_ Neelam stood proudly, but with his head a few feet high from Sam. _No magic healer can hear a dragon's thoughts, let alone a human. How can a maiden read my mind?_

,"I'm telepathic..."

* * *

,"Damn Creepers!" Tucker held a sleeping Ray in his arms, as he hid behind a tree, "I have to get you to a safer place!" He silenced himself as he heard the sound of talon's crushing against the earth.

,"No need to hide, young traveler. We only come for maiden- she's a criminal by Lord Vladimir. She's charged with practicing witchcraft and sorcery, being born from a sorceress, and...Murder!" The clicking voice was now laughing with others, as they walked closer, "Hand over the maiden sorceress and we'll be on thy way..."

Slowly, the clinking voices were coming closer. It was so close; that once Tucker heard another click he thought it was close to his left ear.

Ray slowly lifted her eyes to see a worried Tucker, but her vision changed to see blue-like silhouettes around her. _No! Not here, Not now!_ Slowly she turned her eyes to see shadowed figures that had a malevolent red aura, "Say Yistm Nveha...(2)"

,"What!" He whispered as though she was crazy," We are kind of a difficult and deadly situation to be doing Spells 101! It's really not the best time to be-"

,"Just do it!" She whispered angrily, as she looked at him. He stared at her and saw her eyes were clearly different- they were a pale blue, covered in its own encased fog, "Just say Yistm Nveha! Right now!" She gently slipped out of Tucker's arm, and smoothly placed her moccasin covered feet on the ground without breaking a leaf or twig.

,"Yistm...Nveha..." A sudden cloud of grey fog rushed towards the woods. He looked beside Ray, whose eyes stood out as the mist before them.

,"These aren't Creepers..."Ray took a silent step before them, her fogged eyes diverting side-to-side, "It's an illusion...by vampires!" She felt the cold metal against her bosom: a beautifully crafted silver cross.

,"Smart girl!" An eerie voice spoke beside the heavy mist in the atmosphere.

,"Danny!" He looked over his shoulder to see Sam, on the back of Neelam,"How did you-? How did he-?" He was pulled from his tunic collar by Sam's hand, and was on Neelam's back.

,"I have a way with dragons...What were you thinking?" Her eyes showed anger, immense anger and immense worried,"We don't know what were up against! Maybe Vladimir's soldiers, his Creepers or something even worse!"

_Danny..._Neelam barely spoke_...Before I was injured, I saw a Creeper. But the power was much more stronger than any ordinary Creeper, it seemed more like a fantasy, a dream- No! An illusion!_

_Illusion? But what kind of magical creature makes illusions?_ Danny snapped out of his own thoughts, "What kind of magical creatures make illusions?"

,"Plenty..." She turned her head towards him, "Mermaids, sirens, possibly mischievous fairies or pixies, and rarely vampires...Oh no! Vampires! I'm so stupid we have to get to Ray quickly!"

* * *

SPELL TRANSLATIONS-

1- Release...

2- Misty Haven

Sorry, it took so long. But it took some time to finish this chapter.

I kinda had Writer's Block!

PLEASE REVIEW!

_**ALSO! THOSE INTERESTED IN BATTLE OF THE BANDS- I'LL MAKE THE 1ST**__**CHAPTER AROUND NEXTWEEK! AND MUSTANG RIDING DURING MIDNIGHT- NEW CHAPTER THIS THURSDAY OR FRIDAY! REVIEW 4 SNEAK-PEAK!**_


	8. Chapter 8: Vampire's and Hunter's Feud!

SORRY 4 THE DELAY! I'VE BEEN VERY BUSY AT HOME! CHRISTMAS THIS, CHRISTMAS THAT- IT'S BEEN A ROLLER COASTER!

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,"How are vampires involved with Ray?" Danny glanced at the entire woodland that surrounded him, along with Sam and Neelam ,"What do the vampires want with Ray?"

,"I shouldn't be the one to answer, when it's mainly Ray's business." She took a silent step, as the young Rider and Dragon followed her every movement. She made Neelam stop flying as soon as they were so close to where they previously settled down.

_,"I can sense a bit of familiarity in this area- we must be close to camp!"_ Neelam lifted his head above his Rider, but keep his serpentine head hidden among the trees, _"There's an odd mist up ahead!"_

_,"A mist?"_ Danny glanced at Sam, but saw her disappear in the mist! _,"Neelam! Let's follow her! She disappeared!"_

* * *

,'Damn vampires! They couldn't have pick a worse time to ambush not only me but Tucker, too!' Her pale eyes moved side-to-side as she tried to find at least one vampire in the hidden mist. She pressed her hand against the tree's bark creating friction against her palm, and causing it to slowly bleed.

,"Found you!" A snake-like voice whispered in her left ear, then felt one cold hand press on her lips and the other hand cling to her palms, "I found the wench!" She saw seven or ten vampires land in front of her, but her eyes were on a female vampire that held Tucker from being set free.

,"Very good, Strycnine!" A male vampire approached her. She had to admit, his pale skin complemented his golden eyes. He lifted her chin, very gingerly with his index claw, "But a very lovely wench! Why, I could have mistaken her for a vampiress..." He looked into her clouded darken sapphires, and caress his cold dead hand against her cheek, "Remove your hand!"

The vampire that concealed her mouth from cursing, did as he was told, "Yes, Sire Orlock..." Ray gently gasped, but kept silent. The vampire, known as Orlock widen his golden eyes as he stared at the entire complexion of the capture maiden.

,"A lovely, familiar maiden..." Orlock's cold lips spoke, as he continued to stare at the maiden's visage, from her ivory skin to her dark locks to her foggy dark azure orbs and so forth.

* * *

,"Damnit! Damnit!" Sam spoke under her breath, as she hid behind a large bush, watching her childhood companion staring back at a poor excuse of a dead corpse known as a vampire. Though she truly knows why vampires are after Ray, she must keep that information away from Danny and Tucker.

Truth is, the vampires and the Shadows- or Ray's ancestors- were mortal enemies, since the Shadows bloodline was of famous vampire hunters. Both often quarrel of revenge each of their own kin, which only caused more revenge and even more deaths.

The descendants of the vampires decided to end to feud by marrying a female Shadows- but throughout the generations the Shadows only reproduced males! Finally, the descendant Shadows married a lovely maiden and she gave birth the four children at the same time- first a boy, another boy, an other boy, and lastly a girl! That only girl to be spawned by descendants of only males was none other than Ravenna "Ray" Shadows!

,"Danny, call Neelam quick!" Sam couldn't stand seeing her only friend being suffered by looking into the eyes of the one who wishes to slaughter her entire bloodline- not even bothering to leave a drop of blood to drink for themselves.

_,"Neelam! We'll have to do a surprise attack!"_ Danny called for Neelam, but he couldn't sense him! _,"Neelam! Neelam! Neelam, are you here?"_ He finally saw Neelam, blending in with the mist-like a chameleon- near Tucker, almost ready to release him.

He gently released Tucker from the vampire's grasp, but replaced it with a human-like stump; _"It should buy us sometime..."_ He glanced at the dark-haired captive, _"Hopefully, she can put up with them for just a little longer."_

* * *

,"What is your name, dear maiden?" His voice slithered like a serpent, as he touched her pale cheeks. Silence. She only moved away from his cold hands, as he tried to persuade her to talk.

,"The damn wench must be mute!" A female vampire spoke angrily. She had dirty blonde hair that fell to her back, and dark green eyes that were as shallow as a swamp, "She's not of any use to us! Just let us kill her!" A redheaded vampiress agreed with two short brown locked vampiress.

Orlock hissed at the three vampiress, shielding Ray with his own body, "You will not touch this maiden without my consent! Hiss" He looked back at Ray, as she tried to make out what vampire was which and where they were, "Do not fear lovely maiden! I shall shield thee with thy life!"

,'Oh no! He's trying to seduce me! Damn you fucking vampire!' She turned her head away and shut her eyes tightly, but it didn't last long when she heard a hippogriff's protective screech. She saw her own Trella, being bound by unicorn chains, as the vampires tried many attempts to drink her blood... ."NO! STOP IT!"

The vampires froze from the maiden's scream, "So you do speak maiden?" Orlock took a close step to her, but she showed neither fear nor courage, "Why did you stay silent? We're you speechless by my appearance?" He took another step closer, as though he was planning to seduce her and kiss her, but both for a different reason.

She slightly lifted her foggy eyes above her head to see a few branches tipping over by the west wind, "Srnahcbe Lalf...(1)"

The branches fell on the blonde and brown-haired vampiress, "Damn you, wench! She's no maiden! She's one of those damn Sorceresses! Or Magic Healers! Or whatever their now called!" The blonde vampiress stared at a bush, and got up towards it and gripped the slender wrist of...Sam, "Another wench, but she'll be our feast!"

,"No! As I stated before, you will not devour any maiden without my consent!...Magic Healer?" Orlock looked at Ray's foggy lenses, and a sense of familiarity came into him.

* * *

-(FLASHBACK!)-

_A bit younger Orlock moved hay into a barrel with a pitchfork. He watched the children play in the fields not to far away, but he kept a close eye on the youngest child, a small girl whose dark locks fell to her knees even if it was placed in a braid._

_,"Orlock!" A muscular man bellowed to him, "That's all for today! You've done enough work for our family to last you a months' worth of gold!"_

_,"You are too generous, Lord Shadows!" He bowed formally, "But is it quite well if I stay in your wonderful abode to recuperate?" The muscular bellowed happily and nodded, leaving back into his house._

_The young Orlock considered himself lucky- to be but of a few vampires that can resist the sunlight. He continued to stare at the youngest child, who now sat beside a pond, ripping pieces of bread and feeding it to the swimming ducks that were there, "Orlock!" Look at the ducks!"_

_She smiled brighter than the rising sun, and her eyes glistened like the moon being reflected off the watery surface of the ocean. He found her dark sapphires very unique from the other village girls' brown, green and black eyes. He walked towards her, and she gently placed a loaf of bread in his palm, "We can feed the ducks, together."_

* * *

_,"Aaaaahhhhhh!" Ray struggled with the man's grip, but he held her tightly, that her wrists bled as his claws dug into her skin, "Release me! I've done nothing wrong! RELEASE ME ORLOCK!"_

_Orlock stopped, he stared at the young child's face: her eyes streamed tears of fear and pain, her entire body shock in trauma, her breaths were drawn heavy and quivered like her watery indigo pupils, "Miss Shadows, what did I?"_

_."WHAT ARE YOU DOING ORLOCK!" Lord Shadows appeared before him, with a crossbow at hand and a flask of holy water. He grabbed Orlock by his tunic collar, getting him off of his daughter, and pushing him towards the barn's walls. ,"HOW DARE YOU FORCE YOURSELF UPON MY DAUGHTER! I KNEW YOU WERE A VAMPIRE, BUT I STILL ALLOWED YOU WORK IN MY ABODE AND EAT FROM MY WIFE'S TABLE! I THOUGHT I'D DESTROY OUR FEUD ONCE AND FOR ALL, BUT I GUESS I WAS WRONG!"_

_Orlock looked at the young Shadows girl, move away from him as she tended to her bleeding wrists, "Please, Lord Shadows! I did not mean to harm Miss Shadows! I never intended to harm anyone of your kin or village- not even Miss Shadows! NEVER WILL I DARE TO HURT HER!"_

_Lord Shadows gasped, and his eyes widen, but he grew angry once again, and pinned the vampire evermore violently._

_,"Quetzalxochitl!" A white-haired woman came to the young girl's side, "My grandchild, I will heal these wounds..." A dim green light cams from both her hands, as she gently placed them on her injured granddaughter._

_,"Mi Meztli!" A woman with dark hair held the young girl in her arms- her only daughter crying into her tunic and arm, as she felt slender stream cascade down her skin, "My daughter, who has done this to you!"_

_,"Leave! And don't you came back here or I'll hunt you down, and won't even bother to keep your ashes as my trophy!" He pushed Orlock to the floor, and watched him run out of the barn, and out of his site._

_As time passed by, Orlock secretly watched the young maiden Shadows grow into a lovely child. Her hair darker than the night can compare, ivory skin that complemented her dark cerulean eyes- he could have mistaken her for a moon goddess in disguise._

_He had to leave behind the female Shadows, in order to protect her from his evil vampire within. Even through the large age gap... he still loved her...to this day_

-(END FLASHBACK!)-

* * *

Orlock's eyes widen as he saw the captive maiden's cloudy eyes disapeared and began to absorb the true form of the maiden, "MISS SHADOWS!"

Silence...

* * *

SPELL TRANSLATIONS-

1- Branches Fall

Sorry, it took so long. But it took some time to finish this chapter. Quetzalxochitl is Nahualt/ Aztec for Precious Flower/ Queen. Meztli is Nahualt/ Aztec for Moon.

I kinda had Writer's Block! 5 PAGES! Hope u like it! I tried to finish it before Christmas!

PLEASE REVIEW!


	9. Chapter 9: Bloomed Feelings

Alright, everyone! Sorry I haven't written lately, but I had the accursed Writer's Block! I hope you like this chapter- I really thought that _this_shouldn't happen in the next chapter but it screamed 'TWISTED DRAMA'!

* * *

_Orlock's eyes widen as he saw the captive maiden's cloudy eyes disappear and began to absorb the true form of the maiden, "MISS SHADOWS!"_

_Silence..._

* * *

,"You know this human, Sire!" The blonde vampire said human as though it were a dirty, worn out shoe that needed to be discarded. She gripped the wrist of the ebony haired female she found in the bushes, to only grip it tighter as she heard _her Sire_- _her true mate_- said the formal title of that wench of a maiden.

,"Silence, Amanda!" He turned to the vampire, who held the young female Shadows, "Release her, Stycnine!" He did so, taking many steps back not wanting to get caught in his sire's rage.

,"It has been some time, Miss Shadows..." He placed his cold palms on her shoulders, only to pull them back and have steam exerted from them in excruciating pain like being in flames up to 30,000 degrees Fahrenheit or rather being shocked by 10,000 bolts of lightning.

The maiden revealed her silver cross as the source of his true pain. All the vampires hissed and took a few steps away from the maiden except for Orlock who took a few steps toward her. She in return looked into his golden eyes...with intense silence.

,"Miss Shadows...accept my apology..." He placed one knee into the earth, and bowed his head toward her. He grabbed her living hand into his dead ones' and placed his cold lips on her knuckles gently, "Please, accept my dearest apology, for a past mistake!"

Her eyes were on her companions, whose life she clearly did not want to endangered more. She placed her dark eyes on the vampire, she had learned to neither love nor hate. She lowered herself to the vampire's current position, lifting his icy chin with her sun-warm index finger, faintly saying,"...I...am sorry..."

His golden eyes widen as he looked into the maiden's sapphire eyes. She rose, and ran into the shadows of the woods, "Quick! Get her, and bring her to me! WITHOUT BEING HARMED!" He ordered his vampire clan to capture the maiden he had wished to pursue...but could not grasp.

* * *

,"We can't leave Ray!" Tucker had stopped in his tracks, looking at his childhood friend, "Who knows what that vampire is going to do once he gets a hold of her? He'd probably turn her into-"

,"He won't!" Sam pushed a tree's branch, walking toward both boys and dragon; "He won't do anything to Ray. Only asking her forgiveness..."

,"How do you know?" Danny was caught in the web of conversation, "She's your friend and your not worried something bad won't happen towards her!" He stared into her purple eyes; "You shouldn't be called her friend, if you're not concer-"

,"I AM CONCERN FOR HER!" She yelled making the entire wood shut up. She sighed," I am concern for her. And I know she would want to deal with the vampires herself...it's in her blood..."

,"What do you mean?" Both boys gave the ebony haired maiden confusing looks. The dragon placed his head up, noticing how quick the day has ended by seeing a first quarter moon_...In her blood? Is it possible for her to be a vampire?_

,"...Ray is associated with vampires by her blood. She is a descendant of famous vampire hunters...and ever since she was little, she was always stalked or almost killed by vampires sent to assassinate her, but most wanted to kidnap her to wed her..." Her eyes rose to the night sky, with a small amount of depression within them, "She told me...if she ever was pursue by vampires...to let her handle it..." She glared at both boys,"...by herself!"

,"I don't care what she said!" His dark skin gently reflected the small fingernail of moon in the sky, "I'm going to follow her, and help her!" He ran into the woods, wandering aimlessly for the Magic Healer.

,"Tucker!" A hand was placed on his shoulder, as he tried to stop his friend. Looking over his shoulder, to the owner of the hand, and trailing it to her pale complexion and violet eyes.

,"Just let him go..." She released her hand, and stared to where the Dragon Healer had left. 'He's just beginning to follow his true intentions of his heart...'

* * *

_Huff...Huff...Huff..._She sighed heavily against an oak tree, warily watching the dark sky overheard trying to catch a pair of dark wings. Looking at her bloodied palm, she quickly ripped a piece of her tunic and wrapped it around her hand. Crossing paths with vampires, getting her companions in danger's way, and still running away from her destiny...it felt like she was still in her childhood residence in Amityville.

,"Miss Shadows..." A gust of wind pushed her dark locks. Turning her head to the vampire's pale skin and golden eyes that was visible even in the dim moon lit rays. She instinctively started to move her legs, but was held by her wrists, "You're not leaving so easily..."

'Damnit! Out of all the time of places and of all the vampires in his clan- it had to be here and it had to be Orlock! The gods must disfavor me, today!'

,"Where could she have gone to?" Walking past the dense forest, avoiding a few branches as he stepped closer to the near edge of the entire forest. Hearing a gust of wind being pushed by what he knew where a pair of wings, he quickly turned around and ran past the trees, but stopped once he saw the back of the head of one of the vampires.

'What's he doing here?' Looking over the vampire's shoulder, he barely saw the Magic Healer's surprised face, as she faced the vampire with her own eyes. He heard, "Miss Shadows..." As she turned to run, she was prevented from leaving by the vampire, who was now holding her wrists.

,"Miss Shadows...please hear me out!" He held down with force, but gentle enough not to bruise her badly. Deep lustrous yellow connected with startled gleaming blue, "Ravenna..."

She gasped. 'How did he know my name?' She tried more than once to release herself from his grip, but she soon gave up as she was forced to look into the eyes that nearly made her tremble in fear, for what he tried to do to her. The thought of even remembering his face, his eyes, even his existence, still gave her nightmares that she awaken in the middle of the night, to this day.

,"I did not wish to do that to you...I would never think of harming you or forcing you to do something you did not wish to do..." His eyes showed great tenderness to the human maiden, "I did not wish to cause you any harm..." Her body relaxed a bit, which loosened his strong grip on her.

,"It's too late for that. You've done much damage, more than you intended to..." She tried to speak very confidently through her frightened eyes. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and was surprised more than her, that her silver cross-had not triggered him pain as both vampire and human touched.

,"I was being possessed by my evil self that evening. I tried very hard not to make contact with any humans, but as soon as I laid eyes on you- I couldn't control myself any longer..." His eyes became gentler than the first time they meet when she was just six years of age.

,"I still cannot forgive you..." Her eyes showed of stern anger, as he still told his 'tall tale'. True, she knew a vampire who is able to resist the sunlight must be cursed with an evil side- she still couldn't be able to forgive him for what he has done to her. No matter the excuse, no matter how many apologies he serves to her...she could never forgive him!

,"Please, accept my apology..." He placed her pale hand in both of his deadly cold palms. She glanced at his dead hands, and into his golden eyes once again, "I remorse for what I had done to you! I had no intention on harming you physically, mentally, or...emotionally..."

Her eyes widen 'H-he...lo-loves...me!' She pulled her hand away from his', "I cannot accept your regret for what has haunted me to this very day! Whatever you do cannot allow me to accept the fact that you tried to force yourself upon me!"

Orlock's yellow-brown eyes widen as he had a sudden, vivid memory from which the incident had happen when the young Shadows maiden was of eight or nine years of childhood,"...No...NO! I will never do such a thing to you every again! NEVER shall I let harm come to you by my own hand or anyone else's'!"

She gasped and widen her eyes as he placed his freezing hands on her own waist and body! But what shocked her the most was that his wintry lips were placed on her own sultry flesh of her mouth! She heard his own dead heart beating along with her living one.

His cold hands began roaming around her body, as she tried hard to get him off of her! He only pushed his lips deeper into her lips, more passionately than he ever seduce a woman- except he wasn't seducing a woman this time...he was loving this woman! He gently moved his tongue into her mouth, and began playing with hers'; he warily made sure his fangs made no contact with her lips during this- not wanting to trigger his evil side during his moment of happiness...

_SLAP!..._She finally had no choice but to resolve in violence... She had placed a red mark on his pale complexion! She took a few steps further from the vampire, as he gingerly held his stricken face. Her finger barely touched her lips that had made contact with one that plagued her dreams under the sheet of the night sky. She neither liked nor disliked the kiss given to her- she was merely shocked and surprised that he would do it here and now!

,"I-I didn't know you- I didn't mean to do-" He noticed there was blood on her lower lip and stepped closer to her, but for her only to move further away from him, "Please, I didn't mean to- I didn't realize you didn't wish to-"

,"Orlock...please do not excuse yourself, for actions that you had intended to do. I...I must go...farewell..." She walked past him, and walked past the trees, but stopped as soon as she saw her dark skinned companion/student waiting for her under a rather large tree? She saw the dragon sleeping silently beside his Rider, but what amazed her was that her childhood friend slept on the Rider's shoulder with a content look on her sleeping visage.

,"Where have you been?" His voice was loud but not too loud to awaken the dragon or their old childhood familiar.

,"Escaping the vampires, while trying to came out alive." She glanced at the flame of the campfire, that danced on the burning wood gracefully and glowed very softly against the sleeping and awaken pair, "Why are you still awake?"

As she sat not to close to the fire, her eyes looked at the beginning Dragon Healer, "Just thought I'd stay awake to see if you would come back..." Their eyes made contact, and for the first time both noticed something...

'His green eyes were like the fresh color of the Earth's green grass. They're usually carefree, but now they're deep, intensely concern, and hurt? I can see he has been worried about me- how thoughtful of him?'

'Her blue pupils were like the vast ocean I have so long to see. They are normally stern, but right now-the way she's looking at me- I can see they're very gentle, turbulent, peaceful, and now confused. She has been thinking of me, but why me? I'm just her pathetic beginning student?'

That night was completely silent, except for the cricket's musical piece and the gentle crackling of the open fire...

* * *

NO SPELL TRANSLATIONS

I kinda think it's a different chapter that I'll ever write- well until I write future fanfics and chapters!

PLEASE REVIEW!


	10. Chapter 10: Monster

Alright, everyone! Sorry I haven't written lately, but I had the accursed Writer's Block and was locked in the horrible prison called School!

* * *

,"Where are we going?" Tucker asked as he followed the two girls leading them to who-knows-where and who-knows-why, "We've been walking for weeks!"

,"Tucker, it's only been three days." Danny pointed out as the sapphire dragon walked beside him. Although, the prince himself had to admit he had never trek this much that it felt as if he was suppose to walk aimlessly for an eternity.

,"You can stop whining, we're approaching a village!" The Magic Healer looked over her shoulder, towards the Dragon Rider and her pupil, "This village will help us be safe for a while longer. It's a Rouge Village, where misfits and other people who've been exiled from their own village. It's some-what of a sanctuary to them."

The hidden princess kept quiet as they walked towards the village. She still has not recovered from Trella's sudden attack to Ray and the vampires being able to locate Ray after all the years of keeping her family's business a secret. She herself never mentally admitted she was royalty or a Rider- she kept even her dark thoughts deep enough in her mind to allow herself not to even touch it.

,"Princess?" A sudden voice broke her from her thoughts and was suddenly startled by the title, she was often called and despised it! She turned to voice that awakened her from her thoughts to see a sapphire reptilian visage facing her own pale face.

,"You shouldn't be reading others personal thoughts. Especially without their authorization." She seemed to be emotionless and stoic, but was actually panicking for not only her life but also Ray's life, "Reading other's thoughts without their acknowledgment...you seem to be progressing well for a developing dragon?"

,"You're a princess? Which kingdom do you come from, Princess?" She remained silent to his questions, not wanting to be exposed for her royal rank, "Why haven't you told anyone of your true stature?"

Glancing at the dragon, she held a content inexpressive demeanor on her face. Her violet eyes gazed into those large cobalt, as she decided not to bring up the subject that seemed so personal and almost hurtful, "There is no need to be so curious about me so soon. You just might regret knowing me...It's not a threat but a word of warning."

* * *

Walking in a slow pace, all four travelers took their time walking through the streets of the Rouge Village. There was so much along the street- food vendors, jewelry sellers, and many merchants selling their products at a suitable or cheap price. Though the streets had a pleasant atmosphere there was sudden feeling that a thousand pair of eyes were watching them like a painting on a wall.

The sudden feeling of being observed was destroyed as they heard a voice singing beautifully, in the direction of a crowd up ahead of them. As they stood on carts of foods, they glimpsed what were to be three young girls singing as they placed a small silver tin cup in front of themselves. As their voices fell like a gentle waterfall, the crowd applause and threw some coins into the shiny container. The crowd left as the children gathered some coins on the earth that missed the tin cup.

,"Such a statuesque man? Are you a traveler?" A young girl stood before the Prince, as she held a bundle of coins in her tiny hand. Her red hair falling to her shoulders and hazel eyes glinting at the towering man.

,"Eliana! Do not bother these people!" A girl who appeared to be of thirteen years came to the little girl. This girl wore a lovely mane of reddish brown that fell to her mid back and dark brown eyes that showed great concern for the little girl, named Eliana.

,"I'm sorry, Gabriela. Where's Angelina?" Suddenly a girl who seemed to be the middle child between the first two girls appeared, but she had black curls cascading to her wrists and dead gray eyes contrast to her sisters' expressive visages.

The girl named Gabriela slightly bowed to the travelers, "I'm sorry! I apologize on behalf of my young sister, Eliana. I'm sorry if she caused you any trouble!"

Danny slightly lowered himself to the girl's level, "Not at all! We were just wondering where the inn is? Do you know where it can be?"

,"Oh! So you must be travelers then? Our father just so happens to own a inn, we will be glad to lead you to it." Another bow was given by the teen. She seemed joyful as all four travelers nodded and followed her to a two-story inn.

* * *

,"Travelers? I see." Hair tied up in a tight bun, lips gently drinking a warm cup of tea, and brown eyes directed to the pair of boys and girls, "Such a pleasure meeting such young travelers. Where are you heading to?"

Sam spoke before any suspicions were aroused from the stern woman, "We are merely nomads. We travel to buy and sell, or to merely look at the different aspects of other regions."

,"Wisely spoken." Another sip was taken from the woman's pursed lips. Placing the cup down, she smiled as the door was opened then closed by a bulky man, "Nice to see you that you made it home safely, dear...We have guests or rather customers."

,"Customers?" He glanced at all four travelers and smiled, "You are welcome to my inn anytime you wish. Where did you four come from?"

The woman came into the conversation before anyone had a chance to speak, "Your daughters found these travelers after their street performance."

,"Is that so?" He flashed another gleeful smiled to the four teens as his wife grabbed another teacup and slowly poured the hot tea into the cup.

Raven spoke as she pushed her hair aside to look at the couple, "If you don't mind me asking, why is a happy family such as yours residing in the Rogue Village?"

CRASH! The teapot had slipped past the woman's fingers. The woman began picking up the pieces of what was left of the teapot and place it on the table, but gave a sickening glare to the four travelers as she disappeared through the kitchen door.

,"I'm sorry." Her words slipped as she looked into her empty teacup.

,"Don't worry about it! Sasha just prefers to not to talk about her true intentions of living here! She finds this place quite peaceful which is why we decided to live here."

His smiled was hiding something. Something that he didn't want them to know. What secret is this couple hiding? What was the real reason they live in the Rogue Village? Is there something hidden in the shadows of this peaceful village, that is a haven to all?

Whatever it was, it will soon be unveiled by someone's hand. But whose hand?

* * *

Evening came just as quick as the unexpected rainfall hitting against the windowpane. Sweeping the small, unseen pieces of the teapot, she silently cursed at herself. These travelers are more observant than she took them for. Pushing the dust and pieces of the shattered teakettle with the hair of the broom, she cursed herself once more.

,"There is no need to be angered mother." Angelina sat at an empty table where she spread cards out in front of her. Her unemotional eyes glanced at her mother, making her dark swirls of her hair spin at her head movement. Her dark skirts swished as she arose from her seat and took dainty steps toward her mother, "She doesn't know. Though you should be careful with the males. I sense their emerging auras."

The woman turned furiously to the little ten-year-old. Raising her hand, she struck the child with the back of her hand. The child stood, taking her mother's strike; not twitching, not crying just taking her mother's slap with her stoic expression like she always had.

,"If I taught my daughter well, it is that she should be not give her elders advice! I've lived longer than you to have more knowledge than one who has only walked this land for ten years!" She didn't care if her daughter had a redden cheek; it was nothing compared to the bruise of her pride. She looked down at the child who stared at the woman who struck her with such force as a man's, "I do not wish to see you! Leave! You were a waste of weight in my womb!"

The girl walked easily up the wooden steps, not daring to look at her mother and resisting to cradle her redden cheek- no matter how much she wanted to. As she vanished from her mother's sight, halfway down the silent hallway, the feeling of warm liquid sliding down her flesh down her blank face made her wish even more not to be her mother's daughter.

* * *

,"It wasn't necessary to strike your own child." The voice startled the woman as she turned to see the young traveler with dark hair and blue eyes.

Looking at the male, she tried not to glare angrily at him, "She is my child, therefore I discipline my children for their wrong doings. Is there any reason why you are up so late?"

,"I heard you yelling and I thought something happened to you." He seated himself at the table where the daughter named Angelina sat before her mother hit her. He saw the cards that were faced up by the girl's pale hand: the Sun, the Star, the Fool, the Lovers, and the High Priestess- they were tarot cards! The cards that foretold the future by only skilled gypsies! ,"Your daughter seems to enjoy fortunetelling."

The cloth wrapped around her hand which had been moving against the wooden table had halted at the traveler's sudden comment on her useless daughter. Her dark mahogany eyes peered at the boy who continued to study each upward card placed in front of him- he studied each card's unique artwork with patience.

,"She spends her valuable time with those gypsies." By the sound of her voice, he concluded not the woman's daughter but the gypsies angered her, "She spends too much time with those damn thieves! They all steal from their village and end up here to cause an even more horrible influence to the children!" The sudden fast wrist movement against the oak table meant that she grew agitated by these 'gypsies'.

,"Gypsies?"

,"Outsiders, as yourselves call them Magic or Dragon Healers." She walked to a table a little closer to Danny. She now called him an 'outsider', instead of 'traveler', why? ,"Healers? Gypsies? Sorcerers? Mages? Enchanters? Call them whatever they are but all of them are demons! Especially if they dare to overthrow Lord Vladimir!"

It surprised him at how her eyes slightly glowed a bloody crimson but returned to brown in a matter of seconds. And how her nails turned to claws then reverted back to normal, made him wonder if she really was a woman or just him mind playing tricks on him.

,"You don't have to say anything." Her voice sounded sad, "I myself am a monster like those fucking gypsies. I beat my children and am cold to those I see are 'disgusting', but I still consider this as my way of my superiority…I don't hate Angelina, but what she has become. An accursed Gypsy!"

,"So you hate your daughter because she is a gypsy? Why?" He still felt odd at how this woman opened up to him but continue to listen to her.

,"Yes, because gypsies are not from my village. Anyone who is suspected to be connected with a gypsy was immediately exile. A gypsy was the reason I was exiled to this village, with my husband, my first child and second child in my womb. The damn gypsy broke into our house and stole all our jewelry and accused me of asking for a palm reading, then stealing all her jewelry." She releases a long sigh before forcefully placing her fist against the table, making it shake, "She was kicked out of the village as I was, since she somehow had a 'connect' with me and revealed that I was a monster."

,"I damn that gypsy to fiery depths of hell!" The table shook once again.

,"You despise Healers, Hostess?" Her head cocked up with her chestnut locks jerked as she saw the violet eyes of the traveler whose body leaned against the wooden railing. The sudden purple aura of the traveler indicated that she was a Healer.

,"You damn girl!" She bares her fangs at the traveler before her, "You enter my inn, when you, yourself, are a gypsy!"

The princess's gloved hand etched for the pocketknife hidden in her left moccasin, "You call me a monster, when I don't have to hide an actual appearance of such an atrocious creature as yourself...Harpy."

* * *

NO SPELL TRANSLATIONS

Sorry I haven't written 4 a while- but I'm now on summer break! (Yay!) But until I have to go to summer school in two weeks (Aww!)

This chapter is kinda different, and took some time for me to put together, but I hope you guys like it! Also, this chapter is kind of based on discrimination against ethnics, and the song Monster by Meg and Dia. The idea came to me when I was in my leadership class discussing what people see in us 'Latinos', which lead to the horrible stereotypes rumored by some people and discrimination by those who misunderstood. So I REALLY DO HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THIS CHAPTER!

PLEASE REVIEW!

Much luv to those who review! And it's good 2 b back!

**A/N: As you have noticed, the format has changed and my writing has greatly developed since I began writing this story in 2007 (O.O! Holy cheeseballs! Thats a long time!). I still want to continue this but having a lot of work to do in college has prevented me T.T I greatly apologize for having not written in a LONG TIME, but I still working on future chapters! ;D**


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